diff --git a/source/server/guarddog_impl.cc b/source/server/guarddog_impl.cc
index 86b9d7a6d0fd..019a4b4c5c89 100644
--- a/source/server/guarddog_impl.cc
+++ b/source/server/guarddog_impl.cc
@@ -84,10 +84,10 @@ GuardDogImpl::GuardDogImpl(Stats::Scope& stats_scope, const Server::Configuratio
 GuardDogImpl::~GuardDogImpl() { stop(); }
 
 void GuardDogImpl::step() {
-  // Hold mutex_ for the duration of the step() function to ensure that watchdog liveness checks and
-  // test interlock operations happen in the expected order. Calls to forceCheckForTest() should
-  // result in a full iteration of the step() function to process recent watchdog touches and
-  // monotonic time changes.
+  // Hold mutex_ for the duration of the step() function to ensure that watchdog still alive checks
+  // and test interlocks happen in the expected order. Calls to forceCheckForTest() should result in
+  // a full iteration of the step() function to process recent watchdog touches and monotonic time
+  // changes.
   Thread::LockGuard guard(mutex_);
   if (!run_thread_) {
     return;
diff --git a/source/server/watchdog_impl.h b/source/server/watchdog_impl.h
index 940923415d7c..a18034745885 100644
--- a/source/server/watchdog_impl.h
+++ b/source/server/watchdog_impl.h
@@ -24,15 +24,14 @@ class WatchDogImpl : public WatchDog {
 
   Thread::ThreadId threadId() const override { return thread_id_; }
   // Used by GuardDogImpl determine if the watchdog was touched recently and reset the touch status.
-  bool getTouchedAndReset() { return touched_.exchange(false, std::memory_order_acq_rel); }
+  bool getTouchedAndReset() { return touched_.exchange(false, std::memory_order_relaxed); }
 
   // Server::WatchDog
   void startWatchdog(Event::Dispatcher& dispatcher) override;
   void touch() override {
     // Set touched_ if not already set.
     bool expected = false;
-    touched_.compare_exchange_strong(expected, true, std::memory_order_release,
-                                     std::memory_order_acquire);
+    touched_.compare_exchange_strong(expected, true, std::memory_order_relaxed);
   }
 
 private: